Spirit of Solitude
by gaseous
Summary: X-Files X-Men Crossover : Who can save those that save us?
1. Default Chapter Title

Title: Spirit of Solitude  
Chapter 1  
Author: P.Bear  
e-mail: tigerms@erols.com  
webpage: www.tigermoon.com/thai/fiction.htm  
Summary: Those with courage enough to wage war and   
stand in the front line against evil have always   
sacrificed themselves to a cause higher than any and   
all of their beliefs.   
When the lines of sacrifice and survival blur, who is   
left to save those that save us?  
Blurb: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, The   
Lone Gunmen, and The X-Files belong to Chris Carter   
and all the amazing actors as well as 1013   
Productions. Wolverine, Sabretooth, and the X-Men   
belong to Marvel Comics. I am just attempting to do   
these characters justice and am using them without   
permission.   
  
--  
  
(2:35 AM – Washington, DC)  
  
  
A night's cool breeze sweeps through the streets,   
alleys, parks, lakes, and buildings. It touches   
everything in a soft caress, playing a melody of   
comfort as it cools what is heated. The empathy of   
night brings either a feared darkness of humility or   
a soothing emptiness and solitude.   
  
The breeze sweeps over the reflecting pool, creating   
a misty haze as it travels. It hesitates when it   
confronts the body of a little girl lying prostrate   
before it. Her body draped such that from her waist   
down is immersed in the slow rippling movements of   
the now red tainted water. Her body is facing   
skyward, eyes open in shock, and skin pale as the   
moon that reflects off from the water around her.   
Even to the breeze that slowly wraps itself around   
the little body it feels the coldness emanating from   
the prone form. The girl's eyes, red from burst   
vessels, peer through the shifting coolness that   
envelops her.   
  
Having given the lifeless body what comfort it could,   
the breeze moved on leaving the body as it had done   
with a few other bodies such as this a few nights   
ago. Leaving the body as a marker that indeed   
hunting season had begun.  
  
**   
(3:30 AM)  
  
A lone figure crouched at the top of the building,   
catching a glimpse of the police activity buzzing   
around the reflecting pool. His spot was downwind   
and he took a cautious sniff. He smelled blood,   
guts, and pain. He smelled death. He smelled the   
frustration and disgust radiating off those working   
the scene. He heard them arguing and cursing under   
their breaths. It didn't matter to him; he focused   
on that smell of death. He was able to see the   
splatter of blood written next to the little girl.   
In the child's blood, dry and rusted now, it read:   
"RUNT". He could smell the scent of the murderer   
who did this to the little girl. He knew that scent   
well, as if it was his own. He remained and observed   
for a few more minutes, his anger boiling faster and   
hotter than it had in a long time. He stalked off,   
biting the cigar that he had in his mouth close to   
the point of dismemberment, and jumped off the roof.   
He disappeared into the alley; it was time for him to   
start his hunt.  
  
**  
(30 minutes before – 3:00 AM)  
  
Fox Mulder tiredly rubbed his right hand over his   
face, grimacing as he tried to pull his eyelids back   
up. He looked at his clock, waiting for his vision   
to clear and focus. A red blaring "03:00 AM" jumped   
at him.   
  
He slumped back into his sofa and stared at the   
ceiling. He was yet again on probation because of   
their last X-File. He wasn't the only one on   
probation this time either. Scully caught a big end   
of the reprimand that Skinner had thrown at them,   
even though he had to admit that this time it was   
mostly his fault. How was he supposed to know that   
the ugly looking animal that he had tackled and   
fought with was actually the town's mascot? Who   
would have thought that a hog was their mascot, an   
ugly one at that? He was about to shoot the thing   
with his Sig Sauer when the Mayor of the town and   
Scully came running up to him, telling him to stop.   
That was when he looked over at Scully and   
accidentally left his backside unguarded to the evil   
creature. Mulder rubbed his right butt cheek where   
the bite mark had left a nice red imprint, it still   
hurt. A hog in deed.  
  
Yup, Scully got thrown on probation as well. That's   
what she gets for laughing so hard Mulder thought   
through a grimace as he tried to remain off of that   
cheek.  
  
This was the beginning of the third day of his   
fourteen-day probation period and he was totally   
bored. He had spent the first day over at the Lone   
Gun Mens' (?) threatening to kill them if they didn't   
stop laughing after he had explained the situation.   
Eventually they were able to converse and show him   
the new UFO sitings amidst occasional snickers and   
laughter. The second day he had spent playing   
basketball, only to have his backside complain loudly   
to him about it's previous abuse. Now here he was   
lying on his sofa on the third day trying to figure   
out what to do.  
  
Mulder checked his clock again, 03:01AM. An annoyed   
groan came out of his throat.  
  
He rolled onto his side and faced into his sofa,   
trying to will himself to sleep. He was about to try   
counting sheep when the shrill ring of his phone rang   
out through the quiet room. Grumbling he rolled   
himself towards the noise and reached for the phone.   
Scully wouldn't be checking on him, she had gone to   
California with her mother to visit her brother.   
Besides, she was probably still mad at him because of   
the probation.  
  
"Mulder." He grumbled into the phone.  
  
"Agent Mulder, this is AD Skinner." The gruff voice   
at the other end of the line sounded.  
  
Mulder sat up automatically and grimaced as an   
annoying flare of pain went through his backside. He   
sat on the edge of his sofa, resting his elbows on   
his knees and covering his face with his left hand.   
Skinner calling while he's on probation, Skinner   
calling at three in the morning, Skinner calling   
period meant that he was not going to like what he   
was about to hear.  
  
The first thing that popped into his mind was Scully.   
Could she be hurt or in danger?  
  
"Is it Scully sir?" Mulder responded, a little more   
concern than he had hoped revealed in his voice.  
  
"No agent. I assume Agent Scully is fine. I'm   
pulling you off your probation." Skinner replied and   
waited to hear what the other man had to say.  
  
"What? Why?" Mulder definitely knew something was   
not kosher.  
  
"It will be clear to you soon. I haven't contacted   
Agent Scully on this case because it does not require   
her expertise at the moment. There's already a   
pathologist on this case." Skinner took a deep   
breath. "I think she deserves the rest at this   
moment due to the nature of this case. I would not   
have alerted you to it but the director has already   
made it clear that you will be involved."  
  
Mulder remained silent, trying to compile the   
information that he had just heard. Skinner wanted   
to keep Scully away from this case, and himself as   
well so there must be a certain danger for them.   
  
"What is this?" Mulder asked, his voice firm   
belaying the apprehension he felt.  
  
"You know of the Child-Hacker case that's been going   
on I presume." Skinner said, his voice softened just   
a notch.  
  
Mulder fell against the sofa, sinking into it as if   
he'd wish to be swallowed whole. The pain flaring   
from his rear went undetected. He had heard of it,   
everyone had heard of it. Four little girls brutally   
killed over a time span of four weeks. The FBI had   
put an extremely tight clench on information about   
this case. The media was griping because they could   
get no info. Inside the Bureau itself, it was near   
impossible to get any information unless you were a   
part of the task force.  
  
So they needed him to come and do what ever it is   
that Spooky does to make things right. Sink into   
this evil that now preyed upon these little girls.   
An exasperated sigh left his mouth, one that Skinner   
caught.  
  
"The last victim was a friend of a high ranking   
official, and thus it has been made extremely clear   
to us that we had best put an end to this yesterday."   
  
"Four girls dead." Mulder whispered as he tried to   
comprehend the situation.  
  
"Five." Skinner said in a deadly tone. "There's   
been another one found at the reflecting pool. I'll   
meet you there in thirty minutes." The phone   
conversation ended there as Skinner hung up the   
phone.  
  
Skinner got up from his bed. He had a phone call   
from the office, a relay from the D.C. police. His   
morning was not starting out on a high note. Scully   
wasn't going to be too happy about being left out   
either, but he knew that it was going to be better   
this way. At least he hoped so.  
  
Mulder still had the phone in his hand a minute after   
Skinner had hung up. He had wanted to ask why this   
was such a danger that Skinner had hoped to keep   
Scully and himself out of it. Shaking himself awake   
he went to the bathroom.  
  
As Mulder left his apartment, the clock read 03:14   
AM.  
  
The chill from the pre-dawn breeze rolled over   
Mulder's body, almost pulling him toward the covered   
body as he trudged to the frenzy of activity at the   
reflecting pool. Whispers of "Shit, it's Spooky",   
"What the hell is he doing here", and a few other   
bitter comments were not lost to either Mulder's or   
Skinner's ears. Skinner looked abruptly around and   
the agents scattered, trying to find something to do   
or else they'd suffer an ear load from the AD.  
  
Mulder nodded to Skinner as he walked past him,   
heading for the little girl's body. He still knew   
nothing about this case, and he was supposed to   
figure out some way to solve it?   
  
Stopping over the covered body Mulder looked around   
him. He looked at the reflecting pool, now tinted   
like cherry Kool-aid. The girl's body was still half   
in the water and he wondered how much longer her   
humiliation would persist. Swallowing, Mulder bent   
down and removed the top of the white sheet only to   
lose balance and fall to his knees. Bile rushed   
rapidly up this throat but he stamped it down.  
  
Mulder took a look at the little corpse again, only   
to see a girl that looked strikingly familiar. He   
was looking at a girl that could have been Emily's   
sister. Emily, Scully's dead daughter.  
  
Snickers were heard around him as the other officers   
saw Mulder flounder, but Mulder didn't even know it.   
A heavy hand was placed on his shoulder and Mulder   
looked up to meet the intense gaze of AD Skinner.  
  
"This… this…" Mulder stammered out, unable to   
finish.  
  
"This is the reason why I didn't want Agent Scully   
involved yet." Skinner handed him an envelope. "And,   
this is why I didn't want either of you involved at   
all."  
  
Skinner remained silent, standing next to his agent.   
He knew his agent was a pain, a severe pain. He also   
knew that Mulder was a damn good agent and one that   
he could, to a certain degree trust. Mulder wasn't   
in the game to get glory, no he was the true thesis   
of the hero. Mulder wanted to save lives.  
  
Mulder hesitantly opened the envelope and peered   
inside, only to have his throat constrict. The first   
things that he saw were the pictures of the other   
victims. Four of them, two looked like the girl   
lying on the ground in front of him. Girls that   
looked strikingly similar to Emily. The other two   
looked like Samantha, his sister. He read their ages   
quickly. All were around eight years old.  
  
Mulder slapped the envelope shut and closed his eyes.   
No use, his mind had already captured the photos and   
now the images of all five girls danced in his head.  
  
"Agent Mulder?" Skinner said as he looked worriedly   
at the man fighting to maintain control.  
  
Mulder's eyes snapped open, but he did not look at   
the AD. "Yes sir?"   
  
"Everything ok?" Skinner asked quietly.  
  
Mulder slowly shook his head, "Yeah, I can handle   
this." Mulder looked around, looking at the people   
starring at him with either amusement or worry on   
their faces.  
  
"I can handle this." Mulder said finally as he   
pulled himself together. He knelt next to the girl   
again, distancing himself emotionally from   
everything. He pulled the cover completely off the   
girl and stared at the brutal destruction that now   
described what used to be a beautiful young girl.  
  
Mulder began by looking at her legs that were   
submerged in the water. He motioned for some people   
to come over.  
  
"Have you already taken your photos?" Mulder asked   
the forensics photographer.  
  
"Yeah, got everything." The man said quietly as he   
walked off.  
  
Mulder had a few of the men pull the girl out of the   
pool and lay her down. He scanned her little legs.   
They were wrinkled now from being supersaturated with   
the mix of water and blood. There were tears in her   
legs that went from the middle of her thigh to above   
her ankle. Flesh torn away in anger, in fierce   
animal like quality Mulder thought.  
  
The girl had been disemboweled, her intestines and   
what attached organs lain outside of the almost empty   
cavity. Mulder closed his eyes and hoped that the   
girl had already been dead when this happened. He   
looked closer, no gunshot wounds visible that he   
could see and the tears that occurred all over her   
body looked just like that. Tears. Not cut, not   
knifed. They didn't look like any blade marks that   
he could imagine. They looked more animalistic.   
Like claws and teeth.  
  
He looked at the girl's hands and noticed underneath   
her fingernails there were a few strands of blonde   
hair. Putting on a pair of gloves he took the small   
tuft of hair and placed it in wo evidence bags. He'd   
hand one over to the FBI forensics team but he'd give   
the other set to the Gunmen.  
  
Mulder silently covered the girl's body, thanking   
whatever fortune was out there that Scully wasn't   
here to witness this. There was going to be no way   
that he would allow Scully to be involved in this,   
even though he wished he could have her there with   
him. He needed her, but he'd be damned if he would   
allow any form of hurt flutter through the deepest of   
her blue eyes. His only hope was to run this as far   
as he possibly could himself, and hope that he   
wouldn't lose himself in the process.  
  
Mulder walked over to the writing. The word 'RUNT'   
was written in what could only be called a fierce   
scrawl in the little girl's blood. Was the killer   
seeing the girls as runts? Is that what displeased   
him so? Mulder looked at the shape of the girl.   
Granted she looked small for being eight years old   
but she wasn't a runt, and such a callus word at   
that. Why did the killer harbor such hate.  
  
Mulder shook his head and looked around the area.   
Something didn't feel right. The word didn't fit   
with the girl. That was wrong. But right now, he   
felt like he was being watched.  
  
"What do you think Agent?" Skinner said as he walked   
up next to him.  
  
Shaking his reverie off, Mulder looked at the files   
in his hand. "I'm going to need to go over these   
sir. I'll be in my office."  
  
Mulder walked quickly passed the surrounding media   
that was being held at bay by DC police officers. It   
began to rain, hard. They were shouting questions at   
him, but he ignored them. Mulder pulled his trench   
coat above his head trying more to keep himself than   
trying to keep dry.  
  
The word 'RUNT' kept going through his mind.  
  
**  
  
Dana Scully was helping her mom and Tara prepare   
breakfast in her brother's California home. She had   
been seriously mad at Mulder when she got put on   
probation. The past two days here though had really   
been great and her mood had lightened. She was just   
annoyed now. Of course Bill couldn't help but throw   
in off color remarks every once in a while about   
Mulder but she had learned to tune that out early.  
  
"Damn…" Bill's breathless voice resounded from the   
living room.  
  
The women went out to see what he was doing when they   
saw what was on TV. It was a news cast of a little   
girl's murder.  
  
Scully looked at her watch, from what the looks of   
things they found that little girl 4 hours ago. It'd   
be around 1 or 2 pm Washington time right now. She   
paid more attention to the news report.  
  
"At 2:45 AM this morning in the DC metropolitan area,   
the police were notified of a little girl's body.   
Police and FBI have taken over the area, not allowing   
the media to gain any access. This is the fifth   
murder in what has been dubbed the "Child-Hacker"   
murder cases. All attempts at getting information   
has been rebuked with 'no comments'" The video shot   
initially from a helicopter, showing the red pool and   
the quickly moving police and agents, changed to show   
a few agents quickly moving past reporters to get to   
their cars.  
  
Scully swore she saw Mulder pass by the camera, but   
she didn't get a good look since the object in   
question put his raincoat over his head. She didn't   
think it was Mulder, he was on probation just like   
she was. If he was taken off, they would have   
notified her as well.  
  
"Poor dear." Maggie Scully said as she walked back   
into the kitchen.  
  
"Hope they catch the bastard." Bill said.  
  
Scully could only nod as she thought about giving   
Mulder a call. Something didn't feel right.  
  
**  
  
AD Skinner looked at his watch, 1400 hours. He   
hadn't heard or seen Mulder since that morning.   
Hopefully the agent had gotten something to eat, but   
he doubted that. Skinner knocked on the door and   
waited for a response. A minute passed and no   
response so Skinner opened the door to a dim room.  
  
The only light came from Mulder's desk lamp. The man   
behind the desk didn't seem to notice the intrusion   
into his office. If anything, Skinner couldn't even   
tell if the man was alive or not. The slight   
movements in Mulder's chest were the only proof that   
he was still with the living.  
  
Mulder's hands were covering his face, his elbows on   
the table. His shirt sleeves were already rolled up,   
his tie discarded in a corner of his desk. The   
file's contents were scattered over the surface of   
the desk. Photos and reports placed sporadically as   
if strewn about.  
  
"Agent Mulder." AD Skinner called him, using a   
conversational level voice. The man still didn't   
move, and Skinner began to wonder where he was.  
  
Mulder's mind was shooting a slide show of images of   
the crime scene and victims at a speed that only his   
subconscious could view. Images, words, and reports   
flew by and were trying to settle themselves into a   
pattern. But none came. His mind speed through the   
reports again, dictating verbatim what he had read   
initially. His eidetic memory throwing images and   
words at him that he had only glanced at.  
  
Mulder kept coming back to the word "RUNT." There   
was an important significance there. He just   
couldn't figure out what it was. He had a few ideas,   
but none of them came even close to feeling right.  
  
An image of victim number two flashed in his mind,   
and he physically flinched. Victim number two, Jenny   
Applesmith. Eight years old, brown hair in pig   
tails, beautiful child's face. A copy of his sister   
Samantha.  
  
The pattern from victim one and on in term of similar   
looks was Emily, Samantha, Emily, Samantha, and now   
Emily. The next one, in another week, would be   
Samantha. He didn't know if he could survive it. It   
didn't matter, he knew he had to. There were little   
girls out there that required it.  
  
Mulder felt a hand on his shoulder and he startled   
awake, almost as if he had been sleeping. In a daze   
he looked around and up, spotting AD Skinner standing   
over him with a worried expression on his face. He   
automatically straightened and brought back his game   
face.  
  
"What have you got agent?" Skinner asked, noticing   
that there would be no use seeing if his agent had   
all his senses. That was something that only Scully   
seemed to be able to do, but she wasn't here.   
  
'Whose fault is that?' Skinner's mind reeled at him.  
  
"Something's been puzzling me here sir. Why Samantha   
and Emily, why them? Of all the children out there,   
this is too much of a coincidence. Is that smoking   
bastard behind this?" Mulder said, his voice going   
from calm to barely restrained rage. He looked   
straight at the AD, challenging him to answer.  
  
"As far as I know, this is not even related to that   
man. I'm as clueless as to what's happening as you."   
Skinner replied, not backing an inch.  
  
Mulder stared hard at the man, trying to find any   
signs of betrayal or untruth. He found none. What   
he saw instead were the eyes of a tired soul, having   
fought and seen too much. Mulder dropped his gaze,   
his shoulders slumped, and he leaned against his   
table.  
  
"I don't understand it then. This has got to be a   
straight attack or threat against Scully and me. No   
one else knows of Emily or Samantha, besides those   
associated with us. What type of sick game is this?"   
Mulder ran his hands over his face, scrubbing it as   
if he was washing it. "Then, there's that written   
message at each seen. 'RUNT.' That doesn't   
correlate to any of this. The message of the victim   
choice is plain and simple; it's going after us. But   
the written message isn't. It doesn't match!"   
  
"Perhaps the killer was calling the victims runts."   
Skinner replied, sitting in Scully's chair. He saw   
Mulder flinch.  
  
"No, that doesn't make sense either. The victim's   
weren't that small for their age. Calling them runts   
would imply that they were much smaller than their   
supposed size. Let's go over the victim's again."   
Mulder answered, despite his best efforts he already   
looked tired. He sat in his chair and placed his   
elbows on the table and clasping his hands in front   
of his face.  
  
"Victim one. Sharon Pluconch, eight years old, found   
gutted at Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring,   
Maryland. She was walking home from school with   
friends. Friends say that when they turned a corner   
she had disappeared. They didn't see anyone,   
anything, or hear anything. She just disappeared.   
Only to be found dead one day later, not far from   
where she was missing. Her stomach ripped, carved   
out, all intestinal organs left in the open. Slash   
marks left by what can only be described as some   
animal's claw and teeth along her appendages. The   
word 'RUNT' written in her blood along the rocks   
surrounding her. She looked like Emily.  
  
"Victim two. Jenny Applesmith, nine years old, found   
gutted as well in the woods alongside North Glebe   
Road in Arlington, Virginia. Found a week after   
previous victim. She was having a birthday party,   
just turned nine. Went to the bathroom, when people   
heard glass breaking and the girl's cries. By the   
time they got the door open, they found the bay   
window in the bathroom smashed and blood smears along   
the wall. Autopsy reports same as previous victim.   
'RUNT' was written in her blood on the trunk of one   
of the bigger trees. She looked like Samantha.  
  
"Victim three. Crystal McCloud, seven years old,   
found gutted along Maryland's side of Great Falls.   
She had been walking home from school with her   
mother. Mother reports being grabbed and violently   
thrown into a tree where she was knocked unconscious.   
When she woke up, her daughter was missing. Victim's   
body found a day later splattered on the rocks by the   
river. More bruising done to her body than previous   
victims, as if she was bashed against the rocks.   
Neighbors living around the area reported a strange   
howl the previous night. 'RUNT' was written in her   
blood on the rocks around her. She looked like   
Emily.  
  
"Victim four. Megan Olsten, eight years old, found   
gutted and speared on the horns of the Triceratops   
outside of the Smithsonian. She had been sitting in   
the car at night, while her mother went into the   
grocery store. The doors were locked, but people   
around heard the window smashed as well as the girl's   
cries. No one saw anything though, they said it   
happened too fast. When bystanders got to the car,   
they just saw the smashed window and drops of blood.   
She was found a day later. Same damage report as   
previous victim, more than the first two. And the   
spearing. The word 'RUNT' was written in her blood   
on the Triceratops. She looked like Samantha.  
  
"Victim five. Janet Greene, eight years old, found   
gutted and half submerged in the reflecting pool in   
DC. She had been sleeping in her room. Parents   
heard glass and wood breaking as well as the victim   
shrieking. When they got to her room, they found the   
window literally smashed and blood smears around the   
bed and floor. She was found a day later, with the   
same level of damage as the first two victims. The   
word 'RUNT' was written on the sidewalk next to her.   
She looked like Emily."  
  
Skinner watched with sick fascination as Mulder   
recited the victim list. He had seen the man go from   
strong and firm to weak and tired as he progressed   
through the monologue. He had known that the toll   
that was being taken on him was great, he just didn't   
know it would sap away at his strength so fast.   
  
Mulder's hands were clasped together so hard that his   
knuckles and fingers turned white. He needed a   
grounding force, he needed something to know he was   
still with the here and now, he needed something to   
hold him up or else he'd collapse, mentally and   
physically. He needed Scully.  
  
There was at least something about the last victim's   
capture that he had caught in the photos of the   
house. He wasn't sure if Skinner would like what he   
was going to say. He wondered if he should say it at   
all.  
  
Skinner saw the look on Mulder's face, like he wanted   
to say something but was unsure. At this point, he   
needed to hear anything possible.  
  
"What is it Mulder?"  
  
Mulder regarded him with a strange look and pressed   
on. "The window of the last victim's house. We know   
that it was smashed in, but it looks more like   
whoever did it was too big to fit through the window.   
You see here where the wood from the windowsill   
split? That looks like what a shoulder would do if   
it was strong enough to break wood."  
  
Skinner's eyes widened, but he remained calm. No one   
could do that, but he would hear the man out. This   
wouldn't be the first time that his wild ideas were   
actually on target. He followed as Mulder continued   
his explanation.  
  
"Here is a picture of the outside of the window. See   
these marks to the upper left?" Mulder asked waiting   
for a confirming nod from Skinner. When he got it he   
figured it was time to jump in with what he thought   
happened.  
  
"There are five deep penetrating marks on the side   
wall of the house. Almost as if something with claws   
had held onto the house using it's left hand and   
broke through the window with it's right hand and   
upper body." Mulder manipulated his hand to make it   
look like a clawing gesture. The gesture that seemed   
to fit the gash marks on the house. When Mulder saw   
that the AD was about to rebuke, he decided to finish   
it off with a one-two punch.  
  
"Here are another set of marks as well, these weren't   
noted in the report and I don't know why not. I had   
them enhanced and they look like footprints. Judging   
by the size, it would have to be well over six feet   
tall, if not seven."  
  
Damn the man Skinner thought. From the photo   
evidence, it seemed to support exactly what Mulder   
was saying. But was it possible?  
  
"The evidence seems to fit agent, but there's no man   
that can ram through a window with one hand and break   
the windowsill. The only possibility is that the   
wood was rotten."  
  
"Nope. I checked, the family built the house two   
years ago. The wood was sturdy."  
  
"Jesus." Skinner whispered as he sat back in the   
chair.  
  
Mulder's phone rang and they were both startled.   
Mulder gave a sheepish look and answered the phone.   
Skinner watched as a look of excitement and energy   
went over Mulder's face before hung the phone up.  
  
Mulder grabbed his jacket and headed to the door,   
"Sir, I gave the Gunmen a sample of the hair fiber   
from the scene this morning. They got something   
really strange. I'll check back in with you when I   
find out what it is."  
  
Skinner got up and nodded as he watched Mulder almost   
run to the elevator. He was beginning to wonder if   
he should bring Scully in.  
  
**  
  
The man stood in the pouring rain, his dark hair   
matted to his face and his cigar long put out.   
Everyone gave him his way, not getting anywhere close   
to him. The man emanated danger and anger.  
  
Logan was pissed. He'd been tracking the killer's   
trail for the past few hours. He had to backtrack a   
few times in order to pick up the killer's scent.   
Logan sniffed the rain-drenched air.  
  
"Flamin' Hell!" He cursed silently and spat out his   
wet cigar. Logan clenched his fists and stared into   
the Potomac River. It appeared that the killer had   
leapt off the edge into the river. He had read the   
paper, Sabretooth had been on a killing spree. Five   
children brutally slaughtered. Definitely   
Sabretooth's style.   
  
His nails dug into his palm, a trail of blood   
streamed out and mingled with the rainwater, diluting   
it into a pink stain as it hit the concrete. His   
fist unclenched and the blood stopped flowing. The   
cuts healed instantly, without scars.  
  
Logan looked into the sky, feeling the rain pelt his   
face. He turned abruptly around and headed to his   
Harley. He needed to back track again. This time,   
he was going to go to the house that this girl was   
taken from. He had seen it on the news as he was   
passing the streets. He'd track Sabretooth down and   
then he'd kill him.  
  
As he started his Harley the rain slowly came to a   
stop. Logan smiled an angry smile. Oh yes, things   
were starting to go his way and Sabretooth was gonna   
be in a world o'hurt real soon.  
  
A few minutes later Logan parked his Harley a few   
blocks away from the house. He would walk around   
here and wait till it got dark before he'd take a   
better look around.  
  
**  
  
Mulder stared in stark fascination at what the Gunmen   
had to shown and told him. "A mutant?"  
  
"Yeah, you see here." Frohicke said as he tapped the   
screen, pointing to a strand of DNA. "That's the   
normal human DNA strand, but if you look at this   
screen you see the DNA from the hair strand. There's   
some mutated factor in there."  
  
"Is it branched DNA?"   
  
"Nope, it's completely different." Byers remarked.   
"This is natural. The mutation is a normal growth of   
the DNA"  
  
"What you have here Mulder." Langly piped in, "Is a   
real mutant."  
  
"Kinda like your flukeman." Frohicke snickered.  
  
Mulder just grimaced when he remembered the creature.   
"Let's hope not."  
  
Mulder leaned against a table and began thinking.   
"Could you guys print and sort everything you guys   
found. I want proof evidence on paper."  
  
"Not a prob Mulder." Langly said as he sat down in   
front of the terminal and starting typing and   
clicking away.  
  
"Any way of telling what this mutation is?" Mulder   
asked hopefully, his lower lip captured between his   
thumb and index finger.  
  
"Sorry Mulder. That's impossible for us to figure   
out. I don't think anyone can tell you either."   
Byers remarked.   
  
"Make another set and you guys keep it for safe   
storage. I'll take this set. Thanks again guys."   
Mulder said as he took the folder of information and   
headed out.  
  
As Mulder was driving back to the office he noticed   
that it was dark and that it had stopped raining.   
Making a quick decision he headed for the Greene's   
house. They had temporarily moved to Mr. Greene's   
parents' house. The house was under protection from   
the DC cops. He wanted to take a look around the   
house and a close look at those marks.  
  
Mulder pulled outside of the house and showed his ID   
to the stationed cops. They waved him through as he   
went into the building. He walked into Janet   
Greene's room and closed the door behind him.  
  
Slowly walking around this child's room he took in   
the pastel colors that were muted by the darkness.   
Mulder didn't bother to turn the lights on. The   
killer came at night, he wanted to see through the   
killers' eyes. But he couldn't. He couldn't grasp   
what this killer wanted. To strike at Scully and   
himself, if so then why did he write 'RUNT'?  
  
Images of Janet Greene filtered through his mind as   
he touched things in her room. He touched a teddy   
bear that was lying at the foot of her bed and an   
image of Janet Greene's blood stained eyes staring   
into the sky came into his mind. He felt the cotton   
sheets of her bed and the image of Janet's torn and   
bloody dress danced before his eyes. After a while,   
Mulder could see nothing but her dead eyes staring at   
him and the red tinged pool of water. He sat down on   
her soft bed and put his head in his hands. Slow   
tears born from decades of pain began to flow down   
his cheeks.  
  
God he needed Scully here. He lifted his face up and   
stared outside. There was a chill wind that swept   
through the broken window. The breeze wrapped around   
him like a blanket, hovering over him, soothing away   
the heat of hurt. Mulder shivered.  
  
Mulder felt so lonely and useless right now. He   
couldn't get a handle of this killer and he was   
staring at dead Samantha's and Emily's everywhere.   
Flashes of his Samantha and Scully's Emily came to   
haunt him. Slowly those images began to distort into   
distraught faces of the two girls screaming at him in   
pain. The last image that came into his mind were   
both Samantha's and Emily's dead eyes looking at him   
accusingly.  
  
Mulder rushed to the bathroom and emptied what little   
he had in his stomach.  
  
**  
  
Logan sat watching the child's house from the roof of   
a neighbor. He could still smell Sabretooth's   
lingering sent here, as well as the girl's. He   
didn't know what he had expected to find here, but he   
needed to be here.  
  
A cold biting wind hit him in his face. Logan closed   
his eyes and smelled it. Fresh grass, dew drops, and   
earth. So much like his home, so much like Canada.   
Canada's winds were wilder, colder, and fiercer.   
That was his one true home, no where else. He didn't   
know how long he had lived, he didn't even know his   
full name or where and when he was born, but he knew   
that no matter where he had lived Canada was his   
home. His first memories were of Canada. Memories   
he knew to be real and not the implanted memories   
that have been forced into his mind without his   
knowing.  
  
Logan opened his eyes as he heard the front door   
open. From his view point he could only see the back   
of the house, but the front door had a greaseless   
squeak to it. His heightened senses allowed him to   
hear the man exit the house. He heard each and every   
foot step.  
  
He saw the man walk unsteadily to the rear of the   
house. Logan crouched down even further and took a   
sniff. The man smelled of sunflower seeds, leather,   
sadness, and pain. The man's face was pale and Logan   
could smell the faint hint of bile coming from him.   
The man looked up at the window, searching. He   
looked down on the ground and all around him. He   
then popped a flashlight out and pointed it at the   
claw marks that Sabretooth had left. He fixated on   
that for a while.  
  
Suddenly the man turned around, flashing his light   
about. Almost searching.  
  
'Smart man aren't-cha bub?' Logan thought to himself.  
  
**  
  
AD Skinner was sitting at his desk, another late   
night trying to sort the mess that this case was   
bringing out. He looked at his watch and then at the   
phone. It was 20:35, he hadn't heard at all from   
Mulder. He reached for the phone to call Mulder's   
cell when his phone went off.  
  
"Skinner." He responded abruptly after he recovered   
from the startle.  
  
"AD Skinner, it's Agent Scully sir." The voice at   
the other end replied. Skinner could tell that she   
wasn't too happy. Shit.  
  
Skinner put on his brusque AD voice and responded,   
"Agent Scully I thought you were on probation?"  
  
"Sir, I've been trying to get in contact with Agent   
Mulder since this morning, around noon your time. I   
haven't been able to reach him in his office, at   
home, or on his cell. I called the Gunmen up and   
they were telling me that he was working a case. Not   
on his own, but one that was official. When did   
Agent Mulder get pulled off probation and why wasn't   
I told about this?" Scully's voice, quiet yet   
deadly, answered.  
  
Skinner sighed, damnit. He had been expecting this.   
He just had hoped it would happen later. His voice   
softened. "Scully, I pulled Mulder off of probation   
this morning. There was another victim and the   
director made it clear that in no uncertain terms   
Mulder was to be put on the case."  
  
"Fine, but why wasn't I notified?" Scully rebuked,   
she wasn't backing down. Of course he didn't expect   
her to.  
  
Skinner paused, he might as well bring her in the   
fold. It might prove useful to Mulder, but he   
wondered if she could handle the situation. "Agent   
Scully, I did not deem it necessary at the moment to   
bring you into the matter at hand. Agent Mulder   
agreed with me when we had discussed this." Skinner   
paused for a brief second. Did he just implement   
Mulder into the fault department? Damn! Oh well.   
"There were certain matters that pertain to this case   
that made me question both yours and Mulder's   
usefulness."  
  
"With all do respect sir…" Scully tried to   
interject. She was angry now. Mulder had agreed   
with him not to inform her? What was it about this   
case that they felt the need to protect her?  
  
"Agent Scully." Skinner began again. "At this   
moment, it is my intention to pull you from your   
probation as well. When can you get here?"  
  
"I've already booked a flight for tonight. I'll be   
there in the morning."   
  
"Meet me at eleven am Agent Scully." Before Skinner   
could even say anything else the line went dead.   
  
'Well, that didn't go so bad.' Skinner thought with   
a grimace.  
  
**  
  
Logan decided that he had spent enough time here. He   
needed to get on Sabretooth's trail before another   
girl died. Dropping from his spot on the roof he   
stalked to his Harley. Starting it up he peeled out   
and decided it was time to find a place to hide his   
ride.  
  
After he had stashed his Harley under some dense   
foliage, Logan donned his other persona. He pulled   
the cowl over his face and adjusted the yellow and   
blue skintight costume. Logan was now Wolverine,   
member of the X-Men and the best at what he did.   
  
Wolverine headed into the woods, following the trail   
that Sabretooth had made before he had captured the   
girl. He needed to find his hide out.  
  
Two hours passed and Wolverine was deep in the   
Northern Virginian woods, Sabretooth's scent kept on   
going. Wolverine had stopped because he saw a   
campfire 50 yards in front of him. Crouching down he   
approached the campsite in complete silence, looking   
like a large predatory cat stalking its dinner.  
  
He watched the four men sitting at the campfire   
drinking beer and laughing. They look like they   
hadn't showered in days and they all had weapons   
slapped to them. Wolverine sniffed them. Blood,   
dirt, and evil. This did not bode well.  
  
One of the men stood up and finished his beer in a   
single swig. "Bring the bitch out here Scott!" The   
man bellowed.  
  
A fifth man dragged a near naked woman from a tent,   
while she kicked and screamed. Wolverine growled.   
He smelled the blood and dirt on her. He saw the   
blood pouring from some of the wounds on her body.   
He bared his fangs and patiently waited.  
  
The man that had initially spoken took the woman and   
slammed her to the ground. He pinned her hands above   
her head and with his other hand he felt her body.   
Wolverine didn't want to give himself away, didn't   
want Sabretooth to know he was after him. He didn't   
have a choice, he couldn't let this woman alone.   
Growling softly he crawled into a better position.  
  
The woman was struggling fiercely, tears streaming   
down her face. The pain of her body was nothing   
compared to the humiliation and pain that the man's   
hands felt as he ran it over her body. She kept   
kicking and fighting and when she felt his hands grip   
the torn fabric of her jeans she tried even harder.  
  
In the next second she heard a SNICKT and felt wet   
drops hit her face. She looked up and saw that there   
were two protruding blades that were sticking out   
from each side of the man's neck. The blades cut him   
enough to make him bleed. The man's face had gone   
into shock.  
  
"Leave the lady be bub. I ain't gonna repeat myself.   
You and your boys best be leavin' or else you ain't   
gonna be able to." A deep growling voice came from   
behind the man.   
  
The man began to get up slowly but suddenly jumped   
forward only to fall back down holding his neck.   
Both sides of it were cut deeply now and blood was   
pouring out.  
  
"God damn fucker! I'm gonna kill you!" The man   
raged as he made a grab for his gun. The guy's other   
friends all went for their weapons and brought them   
pointing at Wolverine.  
  
Wolverine slowly walked away from the woman, and she   
saw the two blades protruding from the back of his   
right hand.  
  
"I'm giving you one more chance. Put your guns down   
and leave. No more blood need be shed." Wolverine   
growled.  
  
"I don't know what you're thinking crazy man! We're   
the ones with the guns. What the hell you dressin'   
up for? Halloween?" The guy named Scott was yelling.  
  
"…Gonna kill you asshole!" The man with the bleeding   
neck raged and pulled the trigger.  
  
The woman mustered her strength and hid behind a   
tree, coming out to look at the fight. She new that   
the crazy guy with the costume was going to loose.   
Two knives against five guns? What she next saw   
would stay with her for the rest of her life.  
  
After the man had pulled the trigger she could have   
sworn that she saw the costumed guy jump straight in   
the air. With another resounding sound of SNICKT a   
third blade, identical to the others, joined the two   
nine-inch long blades. His left hand sprang three   
more blades and then the costume guy came down on the   
first man. A downward swipe of his right claw and   
the man's hands were separated from his body, and   
then a quicksilver frenzy of swipes and that man was   
gutted and lying on the ground.   
  
The other men stared in horror before they all began   
to shoot at the same time, blasting blindly and   
running away. The lady watched the costume guy   
crouch a little, his muscles rippling in his legs for   
less than a second before he sprang into the air with   
claws extended. He leapt at one of the men and   
twisted in mid-air to avoid a bullet and rolled right   
in front of the man. The costumed man's arms swept   
out in front of him and literally took the man's legs   
from under him. The man's howl of pain was quickly   
silenced by a set of claws thrust into his heart.  
  
The costume man twisted and ran amazingly fast before   
jumping at a tree. Before he collided with it, he   
flipped and his feet made the connection with the   
tree. The costumed man spring boarded off the tree   
and hurled himself into the air, flipping over   
another of the guys who was shooting wildly at him.   
As the costumed guy came down behind the man he spun   
in a circle and his claws lashed out. The costumed   
man landed on his feet, his stance amazingly low,   
while that gunner had fallen, his back a shredded   
mutilation hanging from his skeleton.  
  
From his crouch positioned he charged wordlessly at   
the other man. The man was running away shooting   
backwards as he went. The lady watched in awe as the   
costumed guy ran faster than the gunner and over took   
him. Once he was ahead he spun and did a swift round   
house kick. She heard a sickening crunch as she saw   
the gunner's head snap in the oddest fashion.  
  
The last man was standing there, his pants soaked   
with his own urine, pulling the trigger on his gun   
repeatedly in hopes of hitting his target. The woman   
watched as the costume man sprang onto a tree and   
jumped from branch to branch like an acrobat before   
nose diving at the gunner. The next thing she knew   
the gunner had dropped to the ground.  
  
Everything had happened in just a few seconds.  
  
She stared in fear and fascination as the costumed   
man flicked his wrists and the blood that was on his   
blades slid right off. Another SNICKT and the   
blades were gone. The man looked at her and began to   
walk forward. The woman panicked and was looking for   
a way to escape.  
  
"I ain't gonna hurt ya darlin'." The costume man   
said as he stopped five feet away from her.  
  
She took a close look at the man now and noticed his   
stature. He was short but heavily built, and hairy.   
He was probably five feet three and very well   
muscled. He extended a gloved hand that amazingly as   
it seemed was free of blood.   
  
"Come on darlin', let's find you some cloths and get   
you back to civilization." The man's warm voice   
said.  
  
Hesitantly she took his hand and stood up, towering   
over him. He didn't seem to care as he started to   
rummage through the tents for some cloths. They   
started walking once she felt warm enough. The man   
took a tent and some supplies in a pack and hefted it   
over his shoulder easily.  
  
"We ain't gonna reach any transportation or towns for   
another 3 hours of hard hikin'. We're gonna get away   
from this mess and make camp so you can rest up.   
We'll go back in the mornin'." The man said.  
  
The lady shook her head, not really even knowing what   
to do. She was afraid of him, but she felt at ease   
enough to follow him.  
  
"Who… Who are you?" The lady asked quietly.  
  
"The name's Wolverine darlin'." The man said as he   
was walking along side her.  
  
"Je… Jessica." The woman's horse voice replied.   
"What about those men?"  
  
"Bears'll be hungry, they can get a snack."  
  
A pair of golden eyes peered from the treetops   
downwind of the pair. An evil smile plastered itself   
across its face.  
  
"Logan my boy, how nice to see you." The voice   
chuckled softly. "I think it's time to speed things   
up."  
  
**  
  
11:00AM  
  
Scully quickly parked her car in the Bureau garage   
and headed straight for AD Skinner's office.  
She had been hoping to see if Mulder was in the   
office but since she was late she didn't have a   
choice.  
  
Reaching the outer office to the AD she spotted Kim.   
"The AD's waiting. You can go in Agent Scully." Kim   
said, her voice belaying a profound sadness that   
befuddled Scully.  
  
Scully opened the door and looked inside. The room   
was darker than normal; she automatically looked in   
the corner to see if CGB Spender was sitting there.   
She let out a breath of relief before she knew it and   
entered the room.  
  
Skinner was behind his desk facing the window, his   
back to her. Scully cleared her throat and the AD   
turned around. Scully was shocked. His normal   
appearance of stern leadership was replaced with a   
tired and almost fragile one. The dark bags under   
his eyes told of even his lack of sleep. Good lord,   
what of Mulder then? But Mulder was only on this for   
a day, he couldn't be that bad off.  
  
"Have a seat Agent Scully." Even his voice was   
tired. Scully complied, realizing that she was   
holding her breath waiting for the Skinner to bring   
whatever horrible news that had occurred since she   
had phoned the previous night.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"There's been another one." The AD said as he took   
his glasses off to pinch the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Another one sir? So soon?" Scully said quietly.  
  
"She isn't a body yet, she was taken from her home   
last night. We initially didn't think that it was   
our man; he had a one-week interval. To take one so   
quickly just doesn't make sense. This is a drastic   
change. After we took a look at the scene, Mulder   
was sure it was our guy. This time though, he didn't   
bother coming through the window." Skinner paused   
here, putting his glasses down and rubbed the space   
just above his eyes.  
  
Scully waited, something else had happened.  
  
"He slaughtered the whole family." Scully gasped.   
"This… This thing barreled through the ceiling of the   
house into the master bedroom and gutted the parents.   
He crashed through the wall into the children's   
bedroom and killed their eight-year-old son. He   
grabbed the eight year old girl from her room and   
escaped by creating a hole the size of a tank through   
the wall."   
  
Scully sat stunned, her breath caught in her throat.   
What kind of monster could do all that damage? But,   
with that much damage then there must have been trace   
evidence.  
  
Scully looked at Skinner, "There must have been   
prints or blood marks. Something that the killer had   
left." It almost came out as a plea.  
  
Skinner nodded his head. "Yes, there were   
fingerprints and bloodstains left at the scene.   
They're the same fingerprints that are left at all   
the scenes. It matches none of any databases. We've   
run it through everything."  
  
Skinner got up, "Scully, let's go down to see   
Mulder." He grabbed his jacket.  
  
Scully got up, a questioning look on her face.  
  
"Mulder knows something. He's afraid to tell me what   
he knows, but he knows something… and, he needs you   
Scully." With that Skinner left the office, not   
waiting to see if Scully was to follow.  
  
Arriving at the door to their office, Scully was   
stopped by a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Scully…" Skinner said, a warning. He didn't need   
to go further. There was something that was beyond   
that door that was going to shock and scare her.   
Taking a deep breath and holding it, it seemed she   
was doing that so many times just this morning, and   
opened the door.  
  
There was darkness in the room. At first they didn't   
think that anyone was there but they heard a light   
breathing sound. The only light that permeated the   
dark was the ambient hallway light that peered   
through the door.   
  
Scully raised her hand to the light switch only to be   
stopped by Skinner's whisper.  
  
"Leave it off. I don't want to freak him out."  
  
Scully rustled out a small flash light from her   
trench coat pocket and dimly set it about the room.   
The desk lamp was on the floor, broken and looking as   
if it had been flung there. Mulder's desk was   
littered with case files and paper. Nothing else   
seemed to look in disarray.  
  
The door suddenly slammed shut and both Skinner and   
Scully spun around, both reaching for their weapons.   
Scully shined the flashlight in the direction of the   
door, but saw nothing.  
  
"There isn't anything that you can do when it's   
dark." Mulder's disembodied voice echoed through the   
room. "Turn the light off Scully."  
  
"Mulder…" Scully replied, her hand still on her gun.  
  
"Turn the light off Scully."  
  
Scully switched the light off and unsnapped her   
holster's strap, freeing the gun. Skinner already had   
the gun out and at his side, his safety off but   
within a thumb's reach. There was silence and as they   
waited their eyes adjusted to the darkness. Shapes   
slowly formed, black outlines upon black space filled   
the dark emptiness that was originally there.  
  
They suddenly saw a shape move from their left.   
Mulder had been crouching in a corner and he slowly   
walked right in front of them.  
  
"What are we Scully?" Mulder said as he slowly backed   
toward his desk. "We live on and on, our life   
seemingly steady as we perch ourselves at the top of   
the pyramid. Look at this situation. You had your   
guns, your flashlights, and yet you were at a   
disadvantage."  
  
Mulder sat down in his chair, not bumping into   
anything as he had walked. As if he could see in the   
dark. As if he had been in the dark for a while.  
  
"What about those girls Scully?"   
  
Scully and Skinner flinched when he flicked on the   
monitor as it brought a sudden bright blue glow into   
the room. They both flinched when they saw Mulder's   
face. It was drawn, tired, and totally emotionless.   
It was like looking at a stone statue. His eyes were   
closed, and they saw nothing but hollow pits of   
darkness.  
  
"Mulder?" Scully asked as she slowly edged toward her   
partner, her hand resting away from her body, no   
longer touching her gun. She tried to look as   
unthreatening as possible.  
  
"What about those girls Scully?" Mulder's eyes   
finally opened. The glimmering reflection from the   
monitor highlighted across his pupils. "What about   
them?"  
  
"Mulder, we're going to find them. We're going to   
save them." Scully said as she got to his side and   
touched his forearm.  
  
"Mulder, we're going to turn the lights on now."   
Scully said softly as she gestured Skinner.  
  
The lights came on and Mulder clasped his hands in   
front of his eyes. He rubbed them as they became   
focused and the light didn't hurt.  
  
"How long have you been in the dark Mulder?" Scully   
asked.  
  
"Not long." Mulder said as he looked at the both of   
them through his blood shot eyes.  
  
"Scully, there's something about this case that you   
need to be made aware of before we proceed." Mulder   
said as he gathered the files and photos. He left   
the file and photo of the most recent girl out on   
purpose. Mulder handed them to Scully to look   
through.  
  
Scully had wanted to talk to Mulder more about what   
had happened, but thought that maybe later would be   
better. Scully opened the folder, and sucked her   
breath in. All thoughts fled from her mind. The   
color drained from her face and she felt the tight   
constricting in her throat that signaled a need to   
vomit. She tried to say something but her lips moved   
without any sound coming from them.  
  
"They look like Emily and Samantha." Mulder said   
gently, his voice offering support for her as she   
bravely looked through the folder.  
  
"The girl that was just taken today?" Scully asked,   
her chin stuck slightly out and her jaw set.  
  
Mulder handed the file for the new girl over to   
Scully, a Samantha look a like.  
  
"Ann Parker, age eight. She was forcefully abducted   
from her home late last night, her parents and twin   
brother killed. Something happened to the killer last   
night. Something that made him speed his time table   
up tremendously. We don't know if he's going to keep   
her for a week before he kills her, or if he's going   
to stay on target for this and kill her in 24… now   
only 8 hours away." Mulder said as he assumed his   
FBI persona and pushed all emotion to the side.  
  
Skinner decided to voice his concern at this moment.   
"Mulder, what happened to you a few moments ago, were   
you thinking through the child?"  
  
Mulder nodded. "I couldn't get the feeling of the   
killer, and I knew we were running out of time."   
Mulder flushed a little. "I got amazingly upset and   
started to throw things around. Before I knew it,   
the whole room was trashed, save for Scully's area."   
Mulder flushed even more, but quickly stamped down on   
it. Scully flushed as well.  
  
"When I saw the destruction, something hit me. I felt   
fear, almost like what that girl must have been   
feeling last night. I saw familiar things destroyed,   
things I cherished broken, and didn't understand why.   
Scully, sir, I think that the killer is waiting for   
someone. Someone he calls 'RUNT'. It could be his   
accomplice; it could be anything or anyone. I'm not   
sure what but I'm sure that there's someone else."  
  
Scully was about to ask how he knew that, but Mulder   
put a hand up. He handed over another file to her.  
  
"There's more. In that file you'll see data gathered   
from hair and blood sample that was taken off the   
killer. Notice anything Scully?" Mulder asked,   
folding his hands in front of him.  
  
Skinner tried to look over Scully's shoulder but all   
he could see was Scully's shocked expression.  
  
"This… this is impossible." Scully babbled.  
  
Mulder shook his head, "No it's not Scully. I had   
the boys run it and then I had the FBI run their   
tests as well. Both came back with the same data.   
Not only is this killer a mutant, but also from what   
the tests shows he can heal very fast. Abnormally   
fast. They couldn't fathom how fast that would be in   
the macro world, but when in the micro world, the   
damaged cells healed instantly. What if Scully,   
what if this guy is nature's answer to the next   
predator? He's fast, amazingly strong, deadly, and   
can heal from wounds amazingly fast. He would make   
the perfect killing and hunting machine."  
  
Scully shook her head, not quite believing it, even   
though everything was recorded right in front of her.  
  
Mulder got frustrated, everything was right there and   
she still wouldn't or couldn't see it. "Scully, it's   
all there! Solid scientific proof that a mutation is   
on the loose…" Mulder didn't get to finish as his   
cell phone rang.  
  
Frantically searching for his jacket in the wrecked   
office, he finally shouted in silent triumph as he   
found his phone.  
  
"Mulder." Skinner and Scully watched Mulder's face   
almost glow with excitement.  
  
"Where?" Pause as Mulder pulled his jacket on.   
"We'll be right there!"  
  
"Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked as he and Scully stood   
up.  
  
"That was the K-9 unit. They've tracked the killer's   
scent to the North Virginian woods." Mulder answered   
as the ran out the door, Skinner and Scully behind   
him.  
  
In the car, Skinner was driving; he wasn't going to   
let a man that practically had a nervous breakdown a   
few moments ago behind a 3-ton vehicle.  
  
Mulder's energy was palpable. He had caught the   
questioning looks from both Scully and Skinner. "I   
remembered having watched this really cheesy ninja   
movie a long time ago. A line in the movie sprang   
into my mind. 'Only a ninja can kill a ninja.' I   
played a hunch and got the K-9's involved. The dogs   
were growling and howling when they took a whiff at   
the house. The trainers said that they smelled   
danger. I told the trackers to give me a call if the   
trail went cold or if they were going to find   
something. They're call back there? Well, they're at   
the edge of the Northern Virginian woods. The   
trail's still strong and the tracks almost look   
fresh, and they found bodies."  
  
"What?" Skinner bellowed.  
  
Mulder and Scully looked in shock as Skinner   
frantically reached into his coat pocket with one   
hand and flipped open his cell phone.  
  
"Agent Kelly? This is AD Skinner, I need you to call   
the team together. Mulder just got information about   
where the killer might be. I want swat, heavily   
armed and heavily protected, as well as a fresh set   
of dogs. Yes dogs. Agent Mulder will tell you where   
to meet, and this is to happen yesterday." Skinner   
handed the phone over to Mulder.  
  
Mulder relayed the information over the other agent   
on the phone as Scully sat back and began reading the   
files, trying to ignore the fact that three of the   
girls looked so much like her's.  
  
**  
  
Wolverine stood up, his nose sniffing at the smells   
carried by the wind. Something was wrong. The woods   
had suddenly quieted down, almost as if a predator   
had walked into its mist. He had woken at dawn that   
morning and had hoped to start walking back to town   
with the lady. When he took a look at her, she was   
burning with fever and couldn't even get up. He had   
left her to track down a stream and brought water   
back to keep her hydrated. She woke up a few hours   
later, barely able to walk and he had carried her on   
his back, but even then she needed to take rests.   
They needed to find a doctor fast.  
  
"Sabretooth." Wolverine growled quietly as he caught   
a familiar scent, but his anger increased when he   
smelled fruit, candy, and innocence. Sabretooth had   
another little girl with him.  
  
"Well, well boy'o. Ain't this a pleasure?" A deep   
voice laughed from Wolverine's left.   
  
Wolverine turned around, his eyes narrowing at the   
site of the bloodied girl. She didn't seem too   
injured. She mostly had some cuts and bruises.   
Wolverine looked at Sabretooth, the man was sneering   
his left hand out stretched holding the little girl.   
Sabretooth was six foot six inches tall, blonde   
haired, built as savagely powerful as his namesake.   
The man had claws instead of fingernails. The man   
had been his enemy since his most vivid memory, there   
was blood that needed to be repaid between the two.  
  
"Leave the girl be Sabretooth. We got a score to   
settle, let's finish it and leave these people be."   
Wolverine's growl depended, his hands in a tight   
fisted ball. He couldn't make a move or Sabretooth   
would slash the girl's throat without a second   
thought.  
  
"Boy, this ain't about us this time. I'm here on a   
mission and I intend to finish it." Sabretooth   
responded teasingly as he ran a claw against the   
girl's forearm, a small trail of blood spilling out   
as the girl cried out.  
  
SNICKT  
  
Wolverine's claws unsheathed themselves from his   
hand. His body trembled with a red haze rage.   
  
"CREED!" Wolverine raged as he crouched low in an   
almost cat like stance. His fangs visible and his   
claws ready for a taste of blood.  
  
Sabretooth's eyes gleamed and narrowed, as he tasted   
the girl's blood from his claw. "Tastes awfully   
young Logan." He said as his voice increased and in   
one motion threw the girl to the side, directly at a   
tree.  
  
Wolverine sprang from his couch, hurling himself in   
the direction the girl was headed. Sabretooth   
flipped into the air and as the two men met at the   
girl, Wolverine sheathed the claws in his left hand   
and grabbed her against his body. At the same time   
Sabretooth made a deep slash into Wolverine's back as   
he arched over him.  
  
Both men landed, Wolverine crouched low his left arm   
cradling the girl to his chest and his right arm   
poised ready. His healing factor already kicking in   
and the wound was closing, but it didn't make it any   
less painful. Sabretooth stood up and dragged his   
tongue across his claws. Sabretooth sported a wicked   
grin.  
  
"Tasty as ever runt."  
  
**  
  
A storm of dark armor clad men and women assembled   
along the edge of the woods. A van setup with   
sat.com dishes on its roof stood close by. A group   
of ten men, each heavily armed and each had a dog   
strapped to a leash.   
  
"The trail leads straight in there, the tracks look   
relatively fresh only a few hours old. We could   
catch up 15 minutes to an hour if we press hard   
enough." A man said as he sat in a squad car. The   
men that had been tracking the trail since that   
morning were taking a break, their dogs tired,   
thirsty, and hungry.  
  
The group of them walked carefully into the forest   
towards the campsite where the initial trackers had   
found the bodies. The walk had been quiet, the swat   
team on guard as they went in and the dogs were   
sniffing around going in separate directions.  
  
"Jesus." One of the swat members whispered as they   
found the five dead and slaughtered bodies at the   
campsite.  
  
"Looks like they were shooting at something. They're   
missing rounds." Another swat member said as he   
squatted over one of the dead men.  
  
Skinner looked around, he hadn't seen anything like   
this time of hack job in any serial murder case   
before. He looked over at Mulder to gauge the man's   
reaction.  
  
Mulder noticed Skinner's stare, "This is different,   
this isn't our man."  
  
"Mulder, take a look at this." Scully said as she   
pointed to one of the dead men. "The victims this   
morning had slash marks that looked like claws from   
an animal. There were deep penetrating and one weak   
penetrating wound at each slash. Here, we're looking   
at blades and not claws. These blades are also in a   
set of three and they're longer than the claws that   
were used."  
  
"AD Skinner!" One of the agents with the dogs   
called.  
  
"Yes." Skinner said as he walked up to him, Mulder   
and Scully following behind him.  
  
"We got two scents. One that the earlier team picked   
up never reached this campsite; it's around this   
campsite but never in it. The other sent that was   
picked up headed North from here. Sir, the trail   
that the morning team had been following, looks like   
it would have intercepted this new trail as well."  
  
Skinner nodded. He got the attention of the other   
group members. "We got possible lead onto the suspect   
or suspects. The dogs go in first, the rest of us   
will be weaving through with no more than fifteen   
feet between people. I want weapons ready, evidence   
shows that this guy is big and strong but do not and   
I repeat do not fire first. Stay within radio   
communication, the dogs will tell us where to go.   
Keep your eyes open people."  
  
Skinner faced a man that was standing next to him.   
"You got point behind the dogs Agent Wong."  
  
The man nodded and rounded up his troops. Giving out   
his orders as he needed.  
  
Mulder and Scully approached Skinner. "Sir?" Scully   
asked.  
  
Skinner looked at them, "Fifteen?" Mulder asked.  
  
"We're tracking one or possibly two suspects. With   
this many people I want a close knit unit so that we   
can collapse upon each other in case we're ambushed."   
Skinner said as he listened in as well to what Agent   
Wong was telling the rest of the group. Skinner   
looked back at his two agents. "That's Agent David   
Wong, one of the best swat leaders out there. He did   
black ops in 'Nam."  
  
Skinner looked deeply into the woods. "He knows   
jungle warfare like no other man I've ever seen. I   
trust him." Skinner remembered a back at the war   
where he saw a Chinese man disappear and reappear in   
the jungle, taking down enemy after enemy as if he   
knew exactly where they were.  
  
The trio looked at the assembled group of swat   
members as they heard the last bit of information   
from Agent Wong.  
  
"I want radio silence, but communications on. Leave   
the channel open for the dogs. Break silence only if   
you spot anything of importance." Agent Wong turned   
towards Skinner. "Sir, you along with Agent Mulder,   
and Agent Scully will be behind us. We'll cover your   
sides, keep up with us because were gonna be pushing   
hard and fast."  
  
Skinner nodded as he readied the weapon he had   
grabbed from the swat vehicle. Checking the M-16, he   
patted in confirmation of the three other magazines   
that were tucked into his suit belt. He, Mulder, and   
Scully were the only ones out there that were   
unprotected in SWAT armor.  
  
Mulder and Scully checked and cocked their side arms,   
keeping the safety on. They wanted to keep light and   
not be clumsier with accessories. Speed was their   
importance.  
  
The agents with the dogs went in first, the dogs   
pushing against their leashes, growling silently.   
Agent Wong and his troop spread out in the woods,   
forming a trapezoid with no gaps larger than fifteen   
feet. Mulder and Scully looked as Agent Wong   
communicated with his team by hand gestures, leaving   
the radio free for the dog team.  
  
Their pace was relentless, as they pushed into the   
woods. Every once in a while Agent Wong would point   
to a blood stain on a branch or leaves, leaving the   
agents to worry if the little girl was alright.  
  
An hour into their trek they heard an inhuman roar   
and sounds of two animals fighting, when suddenly   
everything went silent.  
  
**  
  
(10 minutes before…)  
  
The majority of Wolverine's costume was slashed and   
blood stained, an assortment of deep cuts were   
stilling bleeding and healing as he was crouched   
facing Sabretooth. One of his knees rested on the   
ground as he tried to catch his breath. He was   
tired, trying to assault Sabretooth as well as defend   
the little girl was beginning to tire him out. A   
deep gash in his chest kept bleeding as his   
peripheral vision told him that the girl was still   
there hugging the tree and crying. The lady he had   
rescued from the previous night was lying besides   
that tree in a semi conscious daze, her fever taking   
hold of her.  
  
Sabretooth glared at his bloody enemy. Sabretooth's   
own brown, orange, and yellow costume looked like it   
had been in the blender. He had wounds that were   
healing as well but his left arm was almost hacked   
off by a swipe from Wolverine's claws. He was   
ignoring the pain as he felt his arm heal back up,   
tissue mending, bone rebuilding, and veins merging   
back together.  
  
Wolverine was too tired, the blood was seeping too   
fast out and his total damage was beginning to way on   
his healing factor. His body wanted to slip into a   
healing coma so that it could heal fast. He needed   
to get Sabretooth out of the picture and fast. He   
was desperate and he let the bloodlust and anger   
build in him. He let his humanity go as he welcomed   
the animal that he always tried to hide inside and   
the berserker rage that was within him.  
  
Sabretooth saw him slipping into that bestial mode   
and smiled. It was time to get serious. The two   
combatants launched at each other as a frenzy of   
claws and punches were traded. Splatters of blood   
and meat flew as the fight progressed. Wolverine's   
fighting was now brutal, he didn't follow the method   
that his martial arts teacher Ogun had taught him, he   
was now fighting as a beast. In so doing, he left   
his left leg open and Sabretooth slashed a claw   
deeply into it but left his stomach open. Wolverine   
plunged all six of his blades all nine inches into   
Sabretooth's stomach and began to slice. Sabretooth   
howled in pain, lifting the shorter man up and in the   
process ripping Wolverine's abdomen as well.  
  
Both men fell kneeling to the ground. Their arms   
wrapped around their midsections as they tried to   
keep the intestines and stomach from falling out.   
Keeping their organs in their body so that their   
healing factor could seal their wounds up.   
Sabretooth sniffed the air as he was panting and   
smelled gunpowder and sweat. Smiling he made a dash   
with all his strength to the hillside leaving the   
other wounded warrior, the sickened woman, and the   
little girl. He had left his trail purposely obvious   
so that the law enforcement agents could track him   
down, and he brought them straight to Wolverine.  
  
The beast that was Wolverine crouched to the grown,   
both knees planted as he gritted in pain. His enemy   
had escaped, but it didn't matter now. He had to let   
his healing take into affect, and he had two people   
to take care of now.  
  
The little girl slowly released the tree when she saw   
the thing that had captured her run away. She looked   
hesitantly at the costumed man that had been fighting   
with it and didn't know if she should be afraid. Her   
mind was made up when the man hunched over as blood   
poured from his gut wound. She ran over to him.  
  
"Mister, are you al right?" She asked. The man   
looked at her and she saw his wounded face slick with   
new as well as dried blood. She only got a pitiful   
growl in response and she felt sorry for him. The   
man's blades were gone now as he tried to hold his   
stomach. The girl was suddenly startled as she heard   
branches breaking and a voice shout out.  
  
"Step away from the girl! Drop your weapon and step   
away from the girl!" A horde of men with weapons had   
surrounded them and they looked like those she had   
seen on TV. She was about to tell them that the man   
was hurt and that he had helped but the beast that   
was Wolverine felt threatened.  
  
Wolverine reacted instantly despite the pain. He had   
to protect the girl and in as quick a motion as he   
could he reached out and grabbed her flinging himself   
back against a tree with a thud. He popped the claws   
in his other hand, ready to defend himself.  
  
"Holy shit." Someone said.  
  
Agent Wong stepped forward slowly, flanked by six   
men, their guns at the ready.  
  
"Put the girl down and step back!" He shouted.  
  
Wolverine's grip tightened on the girl as he kept her   
to him, using her as a barrier to hold his stomach's   
content in as well as try to protect her from those   
around him. He answered them with a growl.  
  
"Shit, this guy isn't human!" Agent Wong heard one   
of his team say.  
  
"AD Skinner, I can take a head shot right now. I   
have men around him and can grab the girl right   
after." Agent Wong said softly into his mic.  
  
Skinner was very hesitant about taking the shot with   
the girl in that creature's arm, but they couldn't   
afford to loose her. "Ok. Take it!"  
  
Agent Wong was already ready and he lined his shot   
up. He heard Mulder protesting in his ear piece but   
ignored it. A soft pull on the trigger and the   
bullet hit it's mark.  
  
Wolverine's head flew back as the bullet hit him in   
his forehead, his arm released the girl and two   
agents rushed to grab her while she was repeatedly   
screaming, "No, No!"   
  
What shocked the agents were the metal "Ting" they   
heard as the bullet hit Wolverine in the head. What   
shocked them even more was his head snapping back and   
his leaping for the girl.   
  
"Open fire!" Skinner yelled.  
  
A barrage of weapons discharged as a few dozen clips   
were emptied into Wolverine's body and punching him   
back against a tree. His body slumped down   
motionless.  
  
When the echo of the guns cleared, Mulder, Scully,   
and Skinner could hear the little girl.  
  
"No! He saved us! He saved us!"  
  
The agents finally saw the sleeping form of the   
battered woman and then looked at the lifeless form   
against the tree, "Oh God."  
  
--  
  
To be continued in Chapter 2  



	2. Chapter 2

Title: Spirit of Solitude  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Author: P.Bear  
  
Summary: Those with courage enough to wage war and   
  
stand in the front line against evil have always   
  
sacrificed themselves to a cause higher than any and   
  
all of their beliefs.   
  
When the lines of sacrifice and survival blur, who is   
  
left to save those that save us?  
  
Blurb: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, The   
  
Lone Gunmen, and The X-Files belong to Chris Carter   
  
and all the amazing actors as well as 1013   
  
Productions. Wolverine, Sabretooth, and the X-Men   
  
belong to Marvel Comics. I am just attempting to do   
  
these characters justice and am using them without   
  
permission.   
  
It's been nearly 3 or 4 years since I last updated this story and about a year since I last worked on it. I intend to continue but have not found the time to. I've gotten a few emails from those who have read the first chapter and I must say thanks to those of you out there who have gotten in contact with me. I'm posting what I have of the second chapter, as it is the least I can do at the moment. I'm hoping to finish this second chapter this summer since I'm not taking any summer classes for grad school.  
  
--  
  
(8:00 PM - In the woods of Virginia)  
  
The woods are a cold and dangerous place at night. Predators on the hunt, using the mask of darkness as the perfect camouflage from their prey. as they wait for the perfect second to strike. Temperatures dropping to near freezing coupled with the torrential down pour of rain only proves the inherent trap that mother nature sets for the weak and wounded.   
  
Sometimes though, the weak and wounded are the ones that thrive off it.  
  
Rain poured at an angry pace, followed with the fierce cry of thunder, and the intense blaze of lightening, only served to aid the blistering wind in its travels through the mountains. Winds that turned the cover of leaves and the follicles of grass as it pummeled into all that stood in its way. Everything except for the creature that it found huddled in a cave.  
  
Even the wind knew to quickly pass it by.  
  
The creature was hunched over, his massive hand holding in the much-needed organs so that his body could stitch itself back together. Painful growls echoed through the cave as the bite of cold wind danced upon exposed flesh and meat. His healing factor was in over drive; trying to seal the deadly wound as well as keep the hypothermia at bay.  
  
As his body shivered, a section of intestine ground against his arm causing a raging roar to pierce through the night, only to be drowned out by the clapping of thunder.  
  
Sabretooth was not a happy camper.  
  
--  
  
(A few hours earlier 6:25 PM - Northern Virginian Woods)  
  
The once storm of dark clad SWAT operatives now seemed more like a milling shower. They were starring at the lifeless and slumped form of the man that they just gunned down, only to find out that he was a hero. They starred in horrific shock at the blood that was draining out of the bullet wounds and even the hint of stomach content that was still being held in by the left hand.  
  
Special Agent Dana Scully, MD, slowly walked up to the slumped body and hesitantly put her hand on his neck. She noticed how thick and muscular it was, as well as how still. She slowly turned her head back towards Mulder and shook her head twice before looking down at the dead man's hands.  
  
She looked for evidence of the blades that she had seen spring out, but she found none. She quickly got up and went over to the little girl.  
  
"Ann?" Scully ventured as she knelt in front of her. The little girl nodded, still starring at the man that now laid dead before her, the man that had saved her.  
  
"Ann, are you hurt anywhere?" Scully asked, but got no response from the girl. Softly but firmly steering her away from the body she checked out the little girl. She found the long cut along her forearm, which would need stitches. Besides that, she had a few bruises and minor cuts. She'd only need to stay at the hospital for a little bit, but then where else would she go? Her family was already dead. They needed to figure something out later.  
  
"Paramedics are on the way Agent Scully." One of the other agents said as he held a walkie-talkie to his ear. "ETA, 10 minutes. We'll be choppering them out."  
  
Scully nodded as she handed the little girl to one of the female Agents. She headed towards the sleeping form of the woman and began to check her vitals. She noted the woman was extremely hot, her cuts and abrasions were red and swollen from infection. She looked around and saw that her partner was kneeling in front of the little girl, his eyes caressing her face as he talked to her in the softest of voices. Scully found a thermos of water and wet a handkerchief. She placed the handkerchief on the woman's forehead, attempting to cool it down with the water.  
  
Scully signaled another Agent over, "Keep applying water if it goes a little dry. We need to keep her cool, her temp's too high."  
  
Special Agent Fox Mulder talked softly to Ann, his mind only recording what she was saying but not really paying any attention to it. The uncanny resemblance that she had to his sister was too much to handle. He wanted to hold her in his arms and hug her like his own little sister. He yearned to, but he couldn't. This wasn't Samantha, no matter how much she looked the part. He smiled for her though, as if she was his Samantha and he gave her little shoulder a soft reaffirming squeeze.  
  
Mulder walked over to the lifeless body, which was surrounded by Skinner, Agent Wong, and a few others. Most of the SWAT had gone to check the surrounding area out.   
  
"I'll take full responsibilities sir." Agent Wong stated as he looked down on the dead body, his fist unconsciously flexing.  
  
"No need agent. I gave the command. I'm taking full responsibilities." AD Skinner stated as he looked dejectedly at the body. This was a major foul up on his part, even though he had what seemed like all provocation to open fire.  
  
Skinner and the rest of the team looked up as the wind began to pick up. The medivac was lowering the platform to accommodate the first patient. Skinner looked at Scully and saw that she was already having the other agents bring the unconscious woman to the lift.  
  
"We've bought in a second chopper for the body sir!" One of the Agents yelled over the blades whirling noise after the unconscious woman and the little girl were loaded up.  
  
Skinner nodded his head as he watched the medivac fly off in the night with it's two patients and the second chopper appearing in the sky not too far away. He looked at Mulder and Scully and saw them conversing, no doubt they were setting up a time to do an autopsy on the body. This was an autopsy that he wanted to witness as well.  
  
--  
  
(8:00PM Georgetown Memorial Hospital)  
  
AD Skinner walked down the length of the hall with Mulder as they headed down to the morgue, where Scully had gone down a few minutes ago to prep for the autopsy of the man that had been mistakenly killed. They we're all tired but they felt that this autopsy was urgent, their curiosity weighing heavily in their decision. Nor did Mulder want to give any chance for the body to disappear for some odd reason or another as all his past evidence had.  
  
"The doctor said that the Jane Doe was going to be fine as long as she got rest. She's got a high fever which they were able to alleviate as they're treating her infected wounds with antibiotics." Skinner said conversationally.  
  
Mulder nodded, as his mind was still glued to the little girl, "They were able to give Ann a sedative to help her rest. She doesn't know about her parents or her brother. From what little we were able to learn from her she was sleeping before she was forcibly jarred awake and taken. She heard screaming and things getting smashed but she didn't know what happened."  
  
Mulder shook his head slightly as he quietly added, "We're going to have to tell her tomorrow what happened to her family."  
  
Skinner looked at Mulder and knew that Mulder had already chosen himself to tell the girl. He let out a quiet and quick sigh, to let the man know that he was as frustrated as he was.  
  
They entered the morgue to find Scully in scrubs as she and another assistant were wiping the body down.  
  
"Scully?" Mulder asked as he and Skinner walked up next to her.  
  
"The body suffered some moisture as it was transferred from the helicopter. It seems they didn't zip the bag all the way." Scully answered as she handed the towels over to the assistant.  
  
"Sir, Mulder this is Eric McCarther, he runs the morgue and has agreed to be acting diener for the autopsy. Eric, this is AD Skinner and Agent Mulder." Scully introduced as she stepped the right of the body.  
  
Skinner and Eric nodded their heads in greeting but Mulder was busy chewing on his lower lip. There was something that was nagging him, something that seemed odd and wrong. He stared at the body and looked it over, but he couldn't figure out what it was. The feeling kept pulling at him, but he couldn't see it and he knew it was important.  
  
"October 15, 2000. Time is 8:15 p.m. This is Agent Dana Scully with diener Eric McCarther beginning autopsy of an unknown John Doe. AD Skinner and Agent Mulder are observing." Scully spoke after she had turned the recorder on.  
  
"The body is short in stature, measuring approximately one hundred sixty centimeters, about five feet three. The weight of the body is one hundred and ninety five pounds, extremely disproportionate to what his body mass dictates. The body is very muscular, looking approximately in his late thirties early forties. The body is quite hairy, as it covers the whole body." Scully said out loud as she began to look over the body. Her gloved fingers began to touch the body as she kept speaking. Eric was walking around and photographing the body, his flash going off and giving the macabre body an eerie look to it.  
  
"The body is surprisingly warmer than expected. Multiple gunshot wounds throughout the body. Multiple tear wounds that appear to be from animal claws can be found all over the body as well. One massive tear wound in the abdomen, exposing internal organs."  
  
Mulder right hand had found its way up the valley just below his lower lip. He still hadn't figured out what was bothering him, but he did remember a fact that was peculiar about this body.  
  
"Scully, check his hands. Check for marks from those blades." Mulder said as he walked closer to the body.  
  
"I had checked earlier as well, but didn't find anything." Scully said as she moved to the body's hand right hand and lifted it up. Her eyebrows knitted together as she examined it. She quickly moved to the left hand and she looked up at Mulder, "Nothing, there's no scar marks or incision wounds."  
  
Mulder's eyebrows scrunched up as he focused on the body's face. He stared there as he tried to figure out what it was that was nagging at him.  
  
"What is it Mulder?" Scully asked, as she knew that something was churning in his mind. She was only given a slight shake of his head as an answer.  
  
Scully moved back to the torso of the body and picked up a large scalpel. "Beginning Y-incision."  
  
She made a deep incision and blood poured out from her cut. She had expected blood, but not this much. Eric was quick to wipe off the blood as she kept cutting, her mind asking why the blood was so warm.  
  
Mulder didn't watch the incision that Scully was making; he was still staring at the body's face. He replayed the man being gunned down, he watched the claws shoot out of his hand, and he watched as Agent Wong pulled the trigger and sent a bullet straight at the man's head. And suddenly it hit Mulder. The nagging came to a screeching halt, as he knew precisely what it was. The first gunshot wound to the head, wasn't there. There was no wound there, none at all. He remembered Scully saying that the body was, "surprisingly warm." Then he looked back at the hands where he had seen the claws spring out and a theory began to drop like a Tetris game in his mind. He was about to warn Scully, but he couldn't get a word out because all hell broke loose.  
  
A deafening roar broke through the deathly quiet of the morgue. A roar of extreme pain and total anger was heard by all in the room as everyone stumbled back, watching the right hand of the body quickly grab the arm that Scully was making the incision with. She dropped the scalpel from the fierce and painful grip, but she wasn't paying her wrist any attention. Her eyes were bulging as she watched the face of the supposed dead man contort into fury personified, just before she found her self being thrown over him and slamming straight into Mulder.  
  
Mulder and Scully fell to the floor with a painful impact as they slid a little on the slick tiled floor. Eric stumbled into the instrument tray and sent it flying as he went sprawling onto the floor. His breathing almost stopping as he felt his heart seemingly lodged itself against his throat.  
  
The once dead man flipped off the table and slammed his shoulders against the table legs, sending it slamming into Skinner as he was reaching across his waist to grab his weapon. Skinner flew back and smashed into a bookcase that was close behind him.  
  
The naked man stumbled back into a corner of the room; sweat beading his body as he emitted painful grunts as his left hand held tightly against his abdomen. His pupils dilated and narrowed as he surveyed the room. Three sharp blades sprang from the back of his right hand with an echoing SNIKT.  
  
"Oh shit." Mulder's voice floated up as he peered over Scully's shoulder.  
  
The Wolverine was awake.  
  
--  
  
(10 minutes before - first floor of the same hospital)  
  
"I can't see a stupid thing!" A high-pitched female voice squeaked out in the dark room.  
  
"Find the lights child." Another rich and beautifully accented voice calmly responded.  
  
PAFF!  
  
A sharp explosion of light illuminated the room to show nothing but a small room full of shelves and a light switch on the wall. The light died out as a yellow-gloved hand reached out and switched it on, bathing the room in a bright white light.  
  
"We're in a hospital." The tall, beautiful African American woman said as she eyed the items on the shelves.  
  
"Great, what was the lady thinking of sending us here?" The teenage Chinese girl said as she opened the door and peeked out. Then she got an idea, "Unless Wolvie's in trouble!"  
  
"Calm Jubilation, we shall figure it out soon enough."   
  
"Easy for you to say Storm, I don't normally go dimension hopping if ya'll can tell." Jubilee said as she opened the door fully. "Coast is clear."  
  
They both walked out of the storage room, heading in the direction that the signs pointed to for the information desk. They passed people by as they were starred at, mostly because of Storm's almost regal appearance and posture.  
  
"You do know we can't just go around asking people, 'Hi, have you seen a short hairy man. He has a really bad temper, claws that spring from his hand, and heals real quick.'" Jubilee said sarcastically as she looked at the hospital directory.  
  
Storm was about to respond when they both heard a roar that they had heard one too many times.  
  
"Downstairs!" Storm said as they both took off toward the stairs, followed by some others who had heard the scream as well.  
  
As they careened down the stairs and barged through the doors that lead to the basement Storm could hear the crashing of metal in the distance as well as the many footsteps behind them.  
  
"Jubilee, the doors!" Storm almost shouted as she pointed toward the handles.  
  
"No prob!" Jubilee shouted back as she slammed the door close and aimed her hand towards the handle. With a mental tug, colorful sparks flew from her hands and exploded on the metal handle, melting it as well as the latch.  
  
She ran up behind Storm as she heard the bodies slam against the now soldered closed doors. Jubilee's worry began to escalate as the metal clashing noises increased from the room ahead. Anytime she heard Wolverine's screams it meant that he was in a lot of pain, and she didn't like seeing him hurt.  
  
They both barreled through the morgue doors and seeing the trashed surroundings. More importantly they saw the naked man huddled in the corner, growling with his claws out ready to defend him.  
  
"By the Goddess!" Storm whispered as she saw her old friend, specifically his stomach wound. Storm noticed Jubilee quickly going towards Wolverine and followed.  
  
"Don't! He's dangerous!" Skinner yelled out at the two strangers who were rushing towards the madman.  
  
Storm looked at the bald man on the ground and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if this could possibly have been what the Professor would have looked like younger and more built. "We'll be fine."  
  
Mulder and Scully watched as the two strangers approached the man in the corner. They were about to run to their rescue when the young Chinese girl started talking.  
  
"Wolvie? Hey what'd you get yourself into this time, huh?" Jubilee said as she cringed when she saw his stomach wound. "It's Jubes and Ororo. You remember us don'tcha?"  
  
Jubilee kept talking, hoping that it was her voice that he could hear and not exactly what she was saying. Wolverine had become his namesake, the beast that he fought so hard to not become and she needed to bring back her friend Logan.  
  
The beast known as Wolverine couldn't bring himself to raise his blades at the young girl in front of him. There was something about her as well as the tall woman that tugged at his memory. He knew them, somehow he knew them but he wasn't sure. He felt the stinging pain as his flesh began to mend in his stomach and he gritted his teeth. Droplets of drool fell from his mouth as he tried to endure the pain. His breathing was heavy and with each intake of breath he smelled the young girl in front of him. A soft scent of strawberries, fresh soap, and exuberance filled his nostrils. Her scent was familiar as well and it was friendly.  
  
Skinner pulled his weapon from its holster and took aim at the man's head. He quickly swung around the two strangers and made sure they weren't in between his shot. "Get back! That man is extremely dangerous!"  
  
Storm turned around and began to slowly walk towards the bald man, putting her in his line of site. "Put the weapon down, he poses no threat to us." Storm said as she raised her hands up in a placating gesture.  
  
"Lady, you don't understand.." Skinner began, moving away from the tall woman.  
  
"Actually, sir it is you who doesn't." Storm responded quietly.  
  
Skinner quickly looked her way and saw her eyes turn milky white. Immediately he felt his hand smacked by a cold and bitter force; making him release his hold of the gun. He walked back just as he saw his gun float in mid air and sail to the woman.  
  
Mulder and Scully had gotten up and almost collapsed again when they saw what happened between Skinner and the woman. They had seen her eyes turn white and turn back when the gun landed in her hand. It was then that they both looked closer at her eyes, and they weren't normal either. Her eyes appeared feline.  
  
"Please stand back and let us help with our friend." Storm said as she ejected the clip from the gun and unchambered the remaining round.  
  
"Wolvie?" Jubilee repeated his name, not knowing how many times she had done so already.  
  
Wolverine's left hand moved away from his stomach as his healing factor sealed up the skin, encasing all his vital organs within him. His body was flushed with fever, sweat poured from all his pores, as his body had been working hard to heal the most detrimental injury to him. His healing factor began coping with the various cuts, gunshot wounds, and began healing his mind.  
  
Images of the same young girl helping him escape from his crucifixion by a gang of cyborgs, helping him from the clutches of a Russian man with tentacles from his wrist, and whom he had shared many laughs with.  
  
"Jubes?" Wolverine said as he sheathed his claws with another echoing SNIKT.  
  
"Yeah Wolvie, it's Jubes. Care to explain what this mess is all about?" Jubilee said with a smile that lit up her face.  
  
"Soon darlin'... just let the ol'canuckle head... breath a bit." Logan whispered as he placed his trembling hands on the floor, trying to keep his upper body from collapsing on the ground.  
  
Jubilee wrapped her arms around her wounded friend in delight, only to find his body consumed in a temperature rivaling a furnace. "Storm! He's burning up!"  
  
Storm quickly knelt by Logan's side and placed a tender hand on his skin, surprising herself by his fever. She moved slightly back as her pupils once again disappeared. "Stand back child."  
  
"No." Jubilee said firmly as she held onto her dear friend, giving him as much support as she could muster to keep his heavy frame from falling to the floor.  
  
Mulder and Scully, along with everyone else in the room, watched as a soft white cloud swirled slowly above Logan and Jubilee before a downpour of rain began to fall and cool the fevered man.  
  
"Roro, you know how to make a man feel better." Logan said softly as he felt his body slowly gain strength with each bullet dispelled. He looked up at the strangers in the room, vaguely remembering who they were.  
  
"Scully?" Mulder asked as he stared at the scene before him.  
  
"Yeah Mulder?" Scully responded, starring in the same fashion.  
  
"You see what I see? The rain cloud and the dead man not dead?"  
  
"Yeah Mulder."  
  
"Ahh..." Mulder responded, as he reached over to his partner and gave her a pinch.  
  
"Mulder!" Scully shouted as she looked at him in shock.  
  
"Just wanted to make sure you weren't hallucinating Scully."  
  
**  
  
(Two hours later)  
  
AD Skinner was driving the group of them to FBI headquarters while the three federal agents in the car tried to coerce the information from the three amazing strangers in the car with them. The agents were finding out that any answer they received was too terrific to believe.  
  
"Geez Louise people, this isn't that hard! We're mutants. We have cool powers that normal humans do not. We can do things that normal humans do not. Get it? Gawd!" A disgruntled Jubilee replied to the unbelieving faces before them.   
  
"Listen, we don't have time for this right now." Wolverine blurted out. He had stayed quiet the whole car ride as Storm and Jubilee were explaining what mutants were. He had caught quick flashes from the man that had introduced himself as Agent Mulder as well as the lady, Agent Scully. The larger man behind the wheel, AD Skinner, had been too busy driving and questioning his friends to look at him much. "We need to get out there and track down Sabretooth before he starts his hunt for another victim. And it seems like his time table has accelerated."  
  
"Sabretooth?" Mulder questioned as he looked at the previously quiet man.  
  
"The man behind all these murders. He's out there, all fixed up by now, and he's going to be looking for his next victim. If we intend to catch him, we're going to have to find him first." Wolverine responded, as he looked the man in the eyes.  
  
"We thought a creature, maybe a bear had caused this. Or some cult..." Scully began.  
  
"A bear? How many bears do you see traversing around DC mauling people? How many bears do you know can jump through a second story window and barrel through a house? This ain't no bear lady. A bear would be easier to catch." Wolverine irritably replied.  
  
"Where are we going AD Skinner?" Storm asked quietly, seeing where Wolverine's mood was quickly swinging.  
  
"FBI headquarters. We'll figure this whole thing out there." Skinner responded.  
  
"Stop this flaming vehicle then!" Wolverine growled, reaching for the door. "Either take me back to that last girl's house or let me out and I'll get there myself."  
  
"Wait a second. We've already searched the house and there's no clues." Skinner responded, looking into the rear view mirror.  
  
"For you maybe, but not for me." Wolverine responded with equal authority, looking the driver straight in the mirror.  
  
"Sir, I think this might be a good idea. I don't think we have anything to lose." Mulder said, as his thoughts danced inside his head.  
  
When they arrived at Ann's house Wolverine threw the door open, almost ripping it off the hinges. Frost could be seen pouring angrily from his flared nostrils as he looked at the dark house. The other people stepped out of the car, trying to follow the short man as he stalked towards the police officers standing outside of the house. Skinner showed them his badge and gestured to let them through, keeping his eye on the three new strangers before him.  
  
Mulder watched with almost delighted interest as he watched this man called Wolverine almost seemingly gather his thoughts before he proceeded into the house. Wolverine had begun to stoop into a deeper crouching stance with each step he took, his arms loosely hanging by his side. What shocked him the most was the feeling like this man was like a ghost. There was no sound to his movements; there was no disturbance where he went.  
  
"What do we hope to gain from this Mulder?" Scully whispered to him as she lightly tilted her head towards him.  
  
"I don't know, but I have a hunch that we may be way out of our league this time Scully." 


End file.
